Every board has a different set of rules and regulations, but they all have a common standard. Every poster comes from a different background with different points of view on the same topic. Common courtesy towards others and their opinions is essential to getting along in a board setting. Some general rules of common courtesy include lurking before you post. Lurking is reading posts, rules, and regulations before posting. In learning more about the site's specific do's and don'ts, there is less chance of making silly mistakes or accidentally offending the general forum populous. As little micro-communities, forums possess their own pecking orders with longtime, highly respected posters and persistent outcasts.